Chapter 54: The Land of Wano
The islands of the "Grand Line"âthe great sea routeâare so treacherous to navigate that interaction between them is rare, leading each to develop its own unique civilization.
Though advances in navigation technology have increased contact in recent years, the deeply rooted cultural differences remain vast. Sailors setting foot on an unfamiliar island are often overwhelmed by the unknownâstrange objects, animals, food, clothingâeverything foreign to their eyes.
This is especially true in the latter half of the sea, the "New World." Among its islands are those unaffiliated with the World Government, places so mysterious that even the government knows nothing of them.
And among these islands of the New World, one stands outâa closed-off nation, both famous and enigmatic.
Pine trees stand defiant against the sea winds, while creatures like lion-dogs (komainu) and giant baboons (hihi), found nowhere else, roam the land.
Wooden structures with tiled roofs, slender pillars, and low ceilings dominate the architecture, built in a distinct style featuring tatami mats, sliding paper doors (shoji), and fusuma partitions. Rowhouses, castles with towering keeps, torii gates (red arches of religious significance), shrines, and temples dot the landscape.
Many famous dishes from the outside worldâsushi, tempura, soba noodlesâare said to have originated here. The cuisine revolves around rice, emphasizing seasonal ingredients and the natural flavors of the food. Even the alcohol is unique to this land.
And the people? They live and work clad in traditional kimono, garments exclusive to their culture.
The nationâs craftsmen are renowned worldwide for their skill, and it is also the sole producer of "Seastone"âa special mineral that emits sea energyâalong with the techniques to shape it.
But above all else, this country is most famous for⊠its warriors.
The "samurai."
These mighty warriors, permitted to carry swords, are feared across the world. Even the Marineford, a dominant naval power, dares not approach this land.
The surrounding seas rage with violent storms. Waves crash violently, and a single wrong turn into the wrong current can shatter a ship before it even nears the shore.
The country itself is encircled by sheer cliffs, making entry impossible without precise knowledge. A natural fortress.
Yet beyond those cliffs, atop a waterfall, lies the land once called the "Country of Gold"âthe Land of Samurai.
"Ten years have passed since that incident⊠But meeting you in person only confirmed it further. You are the 'Embodiment of Strength'âKaido."
And so, their former comradeâKurozumi Higurashiâhad appeared before these monsters not long ago and uttered these words:
"And you⊠are the 'Embodiment of Fear'âNue."
With her distinctive "Kyokyo-kyo" laugh, Higurashi stood before the grown monsters and made her pitch. The deal had long been setâonly the timing had finally arrived.
"Throughout human history⊠'strength' has solved every problem in the world. And why not?! Humans are animals!! The strong devour the weakâthat is the natural order!!"
The truth of this worldâor at least, what they believed to be true. Higurashi, knowing they would embrace this logic, spoke further to the army of terrifying beasts before her.
"And 'fear'⊠bends all living things to its will. As long as humans are animals, they cannot escape their survival instincts!! Fear of a looming threat drives creatures to fight!! Thus, conflict is humanityâs natural state!!!"
"Damn right!!"
"Mm-hmm, absolutely!!"
The two before her responded with fierce agreement.
In this era where power dictates allâno, in this worldâthey would act to enforce that truth.
This was the first step.
By luring them to her homeland, Higurashi had taken the first stride toward her ambitionâand their vision of the world.
Years later⊠They had arrived.
"âWe're entering⊠THE LAND OF WANO!!!"
"UOOOOOH!!"
"HYAHAHA!!"
"Lady Nue~~~âĄ"
Braving the stormy rapids, scaling the waterfallâthey had reached the Land of Wano.
A closed-off nation that rejects all outsiders. Here, entry and exit are both illegalâviolators face harsh punishment, and the samurai will mobilize to expel any intruders.
Yet here they wereâa crew that had arrived. The same kind that had once come to "Kuri" years ago.
Pirates.
"W-What do we do?! Do we report this to the castle?!"
"But⊠what if they're harmless, like those pirates who came to Kuri before?"
"Right after Lord Sukiyaki's passing⊠If they can be reasoned with, perhapsâŠ"
The pirates had landed at "Tokage Port", a harbor in "Udon"âone of Wanoâs six regions, divided by a great riverâunder the jurisdiction of the Fugetsu Clan, the ruling daimyo of Udon.
Though Wanoâs official port lies only in "Hakumai", this was still a working harbor where fishermen and ama divers toiled under the salty wind.
A crowd had gatheredâlocals in kimono, some sporting traditional topknots, others armed with swords, be they thugs or samurai. All eyes were fixed on the pirates who had disembarked.
âŠThey didnât know.
In Wano, a land cut off from the outside world, its people had no way of recognizing the faces of infamous pirates or criminals.
And so, they watched carelesslyâunaware that these men⊠the Beasts Piratesâwere a crew so terrifying that one glance would send anyone fleeing in terror.
"Y-You people⊠who are you?!"
"Hah? Us? Look at usâweâre pirates!!"
"Oi oi, scatter, peasants. Cross us, and youâll regret it! GYAHHAHA!!"
"Better start sucking up now!! Maybe weâll go easy on ya later! HeheheâŠ"
"What did you just say, you bastards?!"
"Silence⊠They seem like nothing more than beasts. Report this to the castle at once!"
"At your command!!"
The samurai of the Fugetsu Clan, stationed at the port, immediately bristled at the piratesâ vulgar taunts and sneers. The samurai ordered the ninja among them to relay the message, their hands already on their swords.
The tension was explosive.
But thenâthey saw them.
The leaders of the crew, stepping off the ship. The commanders, the right-hand men.
"Wha⊠What the hell is that giant?!"
"H-Hey!! That huge swordsman over there⊠Heâs got black wings on his back!! And theyâre on fire!!"
"That woman over there... she's carrying a parasol... and...!!"
"What about her!?"
"...She's insanely gorgeous...âĄ"
"Nowâs not the time to be gawking!!!"
"...That girl over there... she's, she's floating... no, flying...!! What's with those wings...?"
"Some kind of yokai...? I canât believe it...!!"
"T-The last one... that giant guy... is he their leader...? He's ridiculously huge...!!"
The people who caught sight of them at the port all felt the same nameless dread and fear tighten in their chests.All the men were giants, each over five meters tall. The two women, though normal-sized in stature, exuded an aura just as overwhelming, making it clear they were far from ordinary. They had an eerie, otherworldly presence about them.
And their fear was well-founded.No matter how complacent they had grown in peacetime, when a humanâor rather, a beastâcomes face to face with a predator stronger than themselves, their survival instincts would inevitably scream in warning. Even hardened samurai, or marines who battled monsters in the outside seas, would find it nearly impossible not to feel terror when faced with the elite of the Beasts Pirates.
"This is Wano, huh!! Mwahaha! What a riot, everyoneâs got some goofy hairdo goinâ on!!"
"ââLook who's talking."
"Hah!? Say that again, you piece of trash!! You think a freak like you's got the right to insult my badass hairstyle!?"
"Shut up, Queen!! Who're you calling a freak, you worthless baggage...!!"
Among them, two giantsâone a rotund, blond, braided man with sunglasses and a beard, and the other a swordsman-looking man clad in black with dark wings and flames at his backâstarted glaring daggers at each other and squabbling.
Seeing this, the tall, well-proportioned beauty with the parasol gave them only a sideways glance, her expression a mix of mild exasperation and indifference.
"Enough already!! Can't you two have a little more self-control?"
"Shut it... or are you picking a fight too?"
"You're the one who picked the fight in the first place, moron!!"
"Haaah!?"
"If youâre gonna fight, don't do it here... geez... Anyway, I'm so thirsty..."
The beauty had tried to stop them, but quickly realized it was pointless and let out a sigh. She glanced up at the sun's position in the sky, her face shadowed with gloomy irritation.
All three, including the two bickering giants, were the top executives of the Beasts Pirates.Except for the woman, the other two were infamous far and wide as notorious criminals.
âBeasts Pirates Lead Performer, "Calamity of War" Joker. Bounty: 200 million berries.
âBeasts Pirates Lead Performer, "Calamity of Plague" Queen. Bounty: 520 million berries.
âBeasts Pirates Lead Performer, "Calamity of Wildfire" King. Bounty: 630 million berries.
Each of them was powerful enough to destroy an entire island singlehandedlyâa truly deranged bunch.And yet, even these three who struck fear into others had two people they themselves feared: the beautiful girl flying with strange wings, and the giant with horns.
"Hummm~âȘ Wow~ so this is Wano~âȘ I love it already!! This place is awesome!! Iâm totally a fan!!"
"Youâre in a good mood. Find some tasty meat or something?"
"I've always wanted to come here!! I canât wait to try real sushi, tempura, sukiyaki, and soba~⥠And they all go so well with sake too~âĄ"
"Sake, huh? Sake's good. Wororororo...!! According to the intel, there are six villages here. Maybe we should w-i-p-e o-n-e o-u-t and take it for ourselves?"
"Sounds fun, but if we do it now, we might get scolded. Meh, Iâm good either way. ââWell, for now, how about we get someone to show us around?"
"Good ideaââOi!!"
"Uh... Y-Yes...!?"
The casual yet dangerous exchange between the two made the samurai and townsfolk grimace. Tension crackled in the air, with hands itching toward sword hilts, ready to strike at any moment.But the two paid it no mind and leisurely called out to the nearest samurai.
Now that they were closer, the samurai could feel even more acutely the terror radiating from the giant manâand the eerie girl who somehow stood alongside him without fear. He answered, trembling.
And then the two said something unbelievable.
"We're here 'cause we got i-n-v-i-t-e-d by the acting shogun, Orochi. So hurry up and guide us."
"Pretty please~âȘ Oh, and if you think you wanna pull your swords on us... that's fine too~~ I'll just eat you all upâĄ"
"W-Wh...What!?"
The samurai of the FĆ«getsu Clan and the surrounding townsfolk all gasped."Orochi"âthat was the very man who, just recently, had been appointed acting shogun by Kozuki Sukiyaki, to hold power until his son, Kozuki Oden, who was currently abroad, returned home.
In other words, he was currently the highest authority in Wano.ââHow on earth did he have connections with pirates from overseas? Why had he summoned them?
"C'mon, hurryyy~!! If you donât, Iâm gonna gobble you up~!!"
"âŠP-Please wait just a momentâŠ!"
"Move it."
"Y-Yes, sir!!"
Pressed by the girl and the giant, the samurai pulled out a "Smashi"âa type of Smart Snail, a domestic communications deviceâand hurried to confirm the story.He considered the possibility that they were bluffing, but... it felt odd that complete outsiders would even know Orochiâs name.
And more than anything... he simply couldnât withstand the overwhelming pressure radiating from them.No wonderâthese two were monsters even the top executives of the Beasts Pirates couldnât hope to defeat.
âBeasts Pirates Vice-Captain, "Phantom Beast" Nue. Bounty: 1,080,100,000 berries.
âBeasts Pirates Captain, "King of the Beasts" Kaido. Bounty: 1,511,100,000 berries.
In lands outside Wano, most people who encountered them either fled on sightâor immediately begged for mercy.But the people of Wano had yet to realize the magnitude of what was unfolding before them.
"Haaa... I'm bored while we wait. How about a l-i-t-t-l-e fight to the death?"
"Sounds good. If they don't get confirmation in five minutes, letâs start killing each other!!"
"ââHey!! Hurry it up!! You wanna get roasted, you slowpokes!!!"
"Move it!! Move it!! Iâm gonna fire an Excite Bullet right up your ass, dumbass!!"
"Iâm warning you now... if this takes more than five minutes... you'll know what real hell looks like...!!"
"U-Understood!!"
They had no way of knowing...That soon, under the hand of the Beasts Pirates, Wano would fall into an endless, unbroken night... just like so many lands overseas already had.
The capital of Wano Country. At its center was the "Flower Capital." With its perpetual spring climate and cherry blossoms fluttering through the air, it was the perfect spot for flower-viewing.
From the castle, you could look down on the cityâs neat, grid-like streets, almost resembling a textbook example of the jĆbĆ system, creating a perfectly symmetrical view. It was breathtaking. A massive torii gate stood tall among traditional scenes of Japanese-style lifeâit all screamed "Wano Country." After all, we were inside a castle, inside a proper tenshu tower, sitting atop tatami mats. It felt just right.
"Huff, huff... Mmm! Mmhâ⥠Sukiyaki really is delicious! I'm so glad we came!!"
"Yeah, the booze's damn good too. This place ain't half bad."
"Kekekeke... If it pleases you, then we are honored indeed!"
We, the Beasts Pirates, had been invited to a room in the castle, which was also the Shogunâs residence, and were being treated to a modest welcome. Right now, only the higher-ups were here, but downstairs, our men were likely enjoying sake and food as well.
Kaido and I were sipping sake while I sat in front of a bubbling pot of sukiyaki, beating an egg and savoring each bite with delighted little puffs of breath. Chinese cabbage, shirataki noodles, green onions, garland chrysanthemum, tofu, and of courseâthe meat!! As expected from Wano, every ingredient was top quality and absolutely delicious. It paired perfectly with the sake too. Truly heaven.
We owed our thanks to the ones treating us. Standing before us were an old hag from our former crew, Kurozumi Higurashi, a geezer dressed as a biwa priest strumming a biwa, Kurozumi Semimaru, andâ
"So youâre the Beasts Pirates...!! Glad you made it!! Welcome!!"
The man who welcomed us into the castle with open armsâthe acting Shogun of Wano Country, Kurozumi Orochi. Thatâs right. After hearing that preparations were finally ready, weâd come to Wano to set up our baseâand to help seize the country.
Orochiâsmall in stature but taller than he first appeared, and with a shady, petty-looking airâwas in a jubilant mood. But despite appearances, he harbored some seriously dark ambitions. In other words, just our type. Kaido, too, was happily drinking.
"Wo-ro-ro-ro... Acting Shogun, huh. But if youâve climbed that high already, isnât the conquest pretty much done? Just declare yourself Shogun and order everyone around."
"!! Ah... that would be ideal, but... itâs not that simple!! Even if I became Shogun, there still aren't enough samurai willing to follow me!! The daimyos and gang leaders from each region, who knows what theyâd do... and more than that..."
"Kekeke... Thatâs right!! First, we must display overwhelming fear and power!! We must make them believe that the mighty pirate Kaido stands behind the Kurozumi clan!!"
"Expanding weapon factories, forcing the men of the villages into labor... only strength can make that possible. If they rebel, everything will go up in smoke..."
Orochi, Higurashi, and Semimaru each took turns explaining the current situation and their progress in taking over Wano. âOh, and by the way, there were no ninja lurking around. I checked with Observation Haki and scared off a few just to be safe. In a place like this, even the walls and sliding doors could have eyes and earsâand donât even get me started on the ceiling. You never knew who might be listening, so I made sure only we would hear this.
Apparently, the plan had been in motion for over ten years, back when Kaido and I were still apprentices in the Rocks Pirates. Higurashi and Semimaru had given Orochi the power and knowledge he needed to claim Wano.
The power being a Devil Fruitâthe Hebi Hebi no Mi, Mythical Zoan model: Yamata no Orochi. I felt a little kinship there, considering I could summon snakes too.
The knowledge being the scheme itselfâto infiltrate Wanoâs core, join forces with us, and seize the nation.
Orochi had once been a lowly servant for the Shimotsuki clan, daimyo of the Hakumai region. He stole money in secret, borrowed heavily from a certain someone, and had Wanoâs craftsmen produce weapons. By offering those weapons to us, he successfully formed an alliance. Honestly, the weaponsâ quality alone made it worth partnering up.
Later, thanks to Higurashiâs Mane Mane no Mi powers, he infiltrated the Flower Capitalâs Shogun family, assassinated the Shogun Kozuki Sukiyaki in secret, and had Higurashi impersonate Sukiyaki to stage a grand act. They spread the story that Sukiyaki had fallen gravely ill and appointed Orochi as acting Shogun until the heir returned. Poor Sukiyaki... But setting that aside, sukiyaki really is delicious. No hidden meaning there. Yum yum.
Still, we had questions of our own. Kaido, swigging sake, asked Orochi and the others,
"Sounds like a pain in the ass. Why didnât you call us in sooner? With powers like that, you couldâve grabbed the throne way earlier."
"We had to deal with the heir first...!! As long as heâs alive, we can't move forward... That bastardâs completely insane...!!"
"Kekeke!! Exactly!! That man... if not for Kozuki Oden, this takeover wouldâve been finished long ago!! His strength is monstrous... You must never underestimate him... When Whitebeard himself came to this country, we were terrifiedâbut he took Oden away with him!! Kekekeke... Iâm almost grateful to him now!!"
"Good thing Oden turned out to be a crazy fool who didnât care about the country. Otherwise, this wouldâve been way messier... Hopefully he just keeps living the pirate life and dies out there somewhere..."
"Huh!? Youâre telling me he's sailing with Newgate!?"
Kaido was visibly shocked at those words. Well, Whitebeard was a former comrade of ours too. We even lost to him once.
Amidst this, "Joker"âthat is, Stussyâfilled us in. âŠBy the way, she was already a full-fledged member of our crew, having exchanged sakazuki cups with us. Neither her subordinates nor the World Government had caught onto her true allegiance, thanks to my own manipulation abilities. She sometimes wore a mask just to be safe, but here in Wano, where information barely leaks, she didnât even bother hiding her face.
"Not long ago, a samurai named Kozuki Oden was reported in the newspapers as having joined Whitebeardâs crew. His bounty poster was printed too. Supposedly, he was made captain of the Second Divisionâone of five divisions."
"If heâs that strong and riding with Whitebeard, fat chance of him dying anytime soon. Whitebeardâs not the type to let his crew die easy. Looks like itâll be tough for us to make a move too. Too bad."
"Exactly... Ideally, heâd just stay away, but that's unlikely!! Heâs coming back!! He has the province of Kuri, the land he built with his own handsâand powerful retainers who are just as troublesome!!"
"Kuri?"
"Sounds like a tasty name."
"...Nue-san, could you maybe step away from the food?"
Queen chimed in with an awkward look on his face. âWell, enough messing around. I shared the information with Kaido and the others too.
Apparently, Kuri used to be ruled by the Kurozumi clan, but after their downfall, the shogunate abandoned the region, leaving it neglected. Over time, it turned into a lawless wasteland. It was already a place where exiled criminals and ronin gathered, but as long as the Kurozumi clan held power, it barely maintained some semblance of a village.
However, a young Oden took on the rogues, united them, and breathed life into the land, turning Kuri into a thriving village. Because of this, Sukiyaki eventually revoked Oden's disownment and granted him the title of Daimyo of Kuri. His retainers were all colorful, rough-edged samurai who had rallied to his side, many of them far from ordinary.
"Hmm... but if that's all it is, it's no big deal. Should we just crush them quickly?"
"Not yet. We can still make use of the daimyoâs influence...!! Weâll need manpower to build weapon factories too...!! First, we should build up our strength and military alongside them, and wait for the perfect time to strike!!"
"Oden is highly respected, even now, and beloved by samurai and common folk across the country. We shouldn't abandon the pretense that weâre just standing in for him until he returns... not yet."
"Yeah. Thatâs why we need your strength...!! I want you to drive fear into their hearts...!!"
The old hag, the old man, and Orochi all voiced their opinions, pleading with us.
Honestly, that kind of job was childâs play. If we really wanted to, we could turn the whole country into hell right this second. ...But making enemies of every samurai would be wildly inefficient. After all, this country is going to become our turf soon. Wiping it out completely wouldnât be in our best interest.
"ââThen leave it to me... Kaido-san. Iâll personally gauge the strength of these samurai."
"Oi oi, with your flames, youâll just burn all the buildings down for no reason!! Iâll be the one to sow real terrorânice and exciting!!"
"Everyoneâs so eager... I mean, Iâll do it if you tell me to, but whatâs the plan?"
The three top officers each insisted that they should handle it. It was reassuring. I couldnât help but smile. With them, I had no doubt they could create a beautiful nightmare that would strike fear into anyoneâs heart.
But hey, we were in Wano, after all. Here, it had to beâ
"Alright alright!! I'll do it~~~!!! I wanna scare people toooo!!!"
"ââThen Nue, you take the towns. Iâll handle the samurai in the castle."
"Heyyy!!! Thatâs not fair, you two!!"
"Pipe down, Queen. Kaido-san and Nue-san's wishes take priority."
"Then maybe I'll focus on the spies hiding in this country... the ninjas. Fufufu... I wonder what tricks they'll try to pullâĄ"
"âŠTch. Fine. Iâll settle for another job thenâstill, this meatâs delicious... What kind of meat is this?"
"Oh, thatâs s-u-k-i-y-a-k-i meat!! It's yummy, right~âĄ"
"I mean, Nue-san, I know itâs sukiyaki meat âcause weâre eating sukiyaki but... wait, hold upâwhat?!"
Each of us wore wicked grins, fired up for the domination and scheming awaiting us in this new land. We stuffed ourselves with food and booze, then rose to our feet.
"Alright, you bastards...!!! Letâs show this country what real piratesâ terror looks like!!!"
"Wait, Kaido-san, at least let me confirm what kind of meatâ"
"Alright, letâs goooo!!! Time for my yokai debut in Wano!!! Iâm gonna give it extra effort today!!!"
"No one's listening to me!!!"
"Maybe itâs better if you donât know."
"Hmph... enough talk. Letâs move."
"Iâll send out a decree right away, leave it to me!!"
"Nikyokyokyokyo!! You lot are as reliable as ever!!"
"This is the opening act..."
The sound of Semimaru's biwa echoed through the hall. And soâtogether with Kurozumi Orochi and the Kurozumi clan, we set out to invade Wano Country.
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